Architecture Students Receive Industry Awards

Amalie ElFallah ’16 and Kaira Farrell ’16 recently earned honors for excellence in student architectural design by the Maryland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA selected 10 winners from among 74 projects submitted; entrants included community college, undergraduate, and graduate students.

ElFallah’s “East Brunswick Islamic Center” (East Brunswick, NJ) received the highest award for community college students. The jury said ElFallah used “form, materials, space, and light to great advantage to communicate the spiritual nature of the building.” They also praised her use of materials “borrowed from Muslim traditions while offering contemporary design solutions.”

ElFallah also received a jury citation, along with Kaira Farrell, for “Spectrum Urban Streetscape,” an open outdoor office space. The jury noted the “design provides an opportunity to reimagine the role that a column, wall, opening, roof, and enclosure play…in the work environment.”

“I am so proud of our students—and our architecture faculty are in the enviable position of [nurturing] the growth and development of emerging talents year after year,” Shorieh Talaat, professor of architecture, says. “The awards and scholarships students receive from our industry associations and partners are a testament to the dedication and passion for learning that Montgomery College has instilled in them from day one.”

Talaat’s nurturing may account, in large part, for the students’ success, as both projects were completed in his Introduction to Architectural Design class. ElFallah and Farrell are continuing their studies in architecture at the University of Maryland.